As with any arcade the core of the Brickade was the games so I started development for this project with conceptualizing the various gameplay experiences. With the LEGO brand and products at the center, I avoided relying on screen-based games and instead focused on reimagining classic arcade experiences to incorporate LEGO bricks and builds. Each zone featured at least one signature game experience and one creative build activity, with the Lobby and Gaming zones offering multiple games each.

These initial concepts were developed and refined through feedback, IP approvals, and gameplay testing to create the final games that populated the Brickade. 

Drawing inspiration from the classic arcades of my youth, I knew from the start that the Brickade needed a token-and-ticket system and a massive prize redemption counter where guests could win everything from tchotchkes and swag to full-size LEGO sets. But unlike the arcades I grew up with, I wanted to ensure every guest walked away feeling like a winner, with access to a mix of high-value prizes.

This required designing a complete game economy based on credits that could be spent on games to earn “LEGO Studs” (our version of tickets), which could then be redeemed for prizes. I carefully balanced the number of credits given to each guest with the number of LEGO Studs they could win, creating a broad range of positive outcomes while avoiding extreme outliers on either end.

The entire system was run using RFID "Playbands" worn by the guests and linked to a custom developed software back end. The operations were equally complex and included working with the client to source and price the the prizes and managing the onsite inventory. The end result of all this planning was a seamless onsite experience that resulted in every guest happily walking out with a yellow LEGO bag filled with prizes.

For the layout we took a classic hub-and-spoke approach, inviting guests to explore the Passion Zones in a non-linear manner so they can focus on the activities and areas that interest them the most. The lobby served as the hub, placing the primary functional areas, including the prize counter, in an accessible central space that attendees could continually return to. The Passion Zones formed the spokes, allowing us to create focused spaces that each had their own unique immersive look and feel. Color-blocked, lighted tunnels acted as transition points, inviting guests to literally “Go All In” on each passion as they moved from the central hub into each Zone.

We scouted and selected a venue that would best support this approach and built out the areas using a mix of existing and temporary walls to create the final layout. 

Entrance & Lobby
Guests entered through the pink tunnel to emerge into the main hub of the Brickade. The tunnel framed the prize counter as the first thing guests see when they walk in, setting up an aspirational journey as they set their sights on a favored prize. The lobby was the space most representative of a traditional arcade featuring a foosball table outfitted with LEGO Ninjago Minifigures, an airhocky table with oversized LEGO pieces as the paddles, a LEGO Technic claw machine, a fortune telling Wizard machine, and arcade cabinets showcasing LEGO Fortnite and LEGO 2K Drive. The lobby also included a lounge and a snack area for guests to fuel up and recharge between zones.

Vehicles & Racing
Through the orange tunnel, guests discovered the Test Track, where they were invited to design and build their own LEGO vehicle in the garage. From there, they could head to the slot car track to race against each other for a chance at a podium finish and to earn LEGO Studs, before adding their creation to the gallery wall. A display of LEGO vehicles including cars, airplanes, submarines, mechs, and more helped inspire kids' builds.

Gaming
Traversing the blue tunnel led to the Gaming zone where guests could embrace their passion for Fortnite and Sonic the Hedgehog. In the Fortnite area guests battled the Storm King by building LEGO structure to protect their Minifigure avatar before placing them in the "storm" machine which shook their builds apart, the longer the build lasted the more studs they won. The Sonic area featured a unique take on skee-ball called "Sonic's Speed Sphere Challenge" where guests used LEGO launchers to propel a Minifigure version of Sonic up a ramp to collect gold rings. The space also included LEGO SpeedRunners, a speed building challenge where guests had to construct a LEGO gaming controller as quickly as possible. 
 

Nature
Stepping through the green portal guests could take a walk on the wild side to explore the Animals & Nature Zone. The main attraction was Mini-Green Adventure, a five-hole mini-golf course themed to different LEGO products, with matching biomes like a jungle, a city park, and a surreal dreamscape. In the build area, guests selected a LEGO animal and constructed a custom habitat before adding their creation to a living gallery wall. Life-size LEGO animals, both real and fantastical, inhabited the neon-drenched, plant-filled space.